Cristiano Ronaldo is in his second season in Italy’s Serie A. At 35 years of age, you’d expect him to be slowing down but when we look at the VPM for only his Serie A games, they tell a different story.
In his first season, his scores are above average for his position. However, what’s interesting is that his WR (attempted actions per minute) was only 0.74 which is around the average for all outfield players. Given his team won the league with 56.4% possession, you’d expect his touches to be higher.
In his second season, Juventus’s possession has risen to 57.9% which has seen a slight increase in Ronaldo’s WR to 0.77. What’s this tells us is that despite not being overfed by his teammate’s that his success rate, especially in the stats with a higher degree of difficulty, is well-above average. He has been able to do more with less than the average forward.
Remarkably, despite being a year older, his VPM across the board has risen in his Serie A matches. Juventus are still top of the league but facing more competition than they did last season.
Perhaps, Ronaldo has adjusted to the new environment? Or his teammates have adjusted to him? Either way, going by the VPM numbers, Ronaldo at 35 years of age has increased his value on the pitch from the previous season.